MYTHOLOGIES
When most people think of dragons, images of Western European dragons or big Chinese dragons come to mind. In reality, virtually every culture in the world has legends about dragons. The interesting part is that many of these legends originated long before intercontinental communications, leading archaeologists to believe that each culture came up with the idea by themselves. Some cultures viewed dragons as threats. Some cultures viewed them as blessings and ways to obtain wisdom. Still others used them to promote heroes amongst their people. These stories were passed down from father to son and generation to generation, eventually becoming legends.
Below we’ll explore just a few of the many legends, myths, and stories about these fantastic beasts. If you’d like to explore them more, visit Black Dragon’s Fame or Wikipedia’s List of Dragons in Mythology and Folklore to learn more.
England
England has at least 7 dragons of legend. Today we will discuss Knucker. Knucker lived in a hole in Sussex. He caused a number of problems, such as eating people and animals. To see what the king did to get rid of the dragon, click here.1
Europe
European legends are numerous and include Scandanavia, Greece, the Mediterannean, Germany, Finland, Norway, and others. In this Norse summary we introduce Jormugand. He was a sea serpent and the offspring of Loki the Trickster. Jormugand is the dragon that fought Thor. Click here to find out the whole, exciting story!1 (Top)
Siberia/Russia
Alklha stems for Russian mythology and is the dragon responsible for taking bites out of the moon. Read the interesting account here.1 (Top)
China
Japan
Uwabami are monstrous serpents that plague Japan. One in particular caused many problems. Read how Heita dealt with him.1 (Top)
Australia
Yurlungur, or Great Father, was known as a Rainbow Serpent. He was partial to men, and he would eat girls that wandered into his cave. Read how he affected Austraila here.1 (Top)
Africa
Apep is the Egyptian God of Chaos, and believed to be a serpentine dragon. He lives with an eternal battle against the Sun God, Ra. Check out their battles here.3 (Top)
South America
Ihuaivulu is the dragon with the most heads, being described as a seven-headed, fire-breathing hydra. He is known to wreak havoc on the villages of Argentina and Chile. Unlike the cave dwellers of Europe, Ihuaivulu lives in a volcano.1 (Top)
Mesoamerica
Quetzelcoatl is probably the most famous of the Aztec dragons. Known as a Feathered Serpent, he is said to be the boundry-maker between heaven and Earth. He is worshipped as a god of wind, air, and learning. Many stories exist about his birth, life, and death. Check out some of them here.3 (Top)
North America
